Will Fallon Put Late Night to Sleep?

In February rumors started to fly about Jimmy Fallon becoming the next Late Night host when Conan O'Brien leaves his current spot to take Jay Leno's spot. It's an after-hours game of musical chairs! (Though no one knows where Leno will end up, it is said he'll likely stay in the late night game.) NBC chief Rick Ludwin says that Fallon is now at the top of the short list for possible Late Night hosts.

"Fallon signed a developmental deal with NBC earlier this year, a deal that at the time included the possibility of his replacing O’Brien, who is scheduled to take over Leno’s chair in 2009.
Now NBC has zeroed in on the Saturday Night Live alum as its choice for 12:35 a.m., a slot in which SNL chief Lorne Michaels still has a piece of ownership. Those familiar with NBC’s thinking say the network believes that Fallon’s following O’Brien would make a very compatible two-hour block."

With nationwide grumblings about this being heard loud and clear, the network stands by their Fallon. There really isn't much of a better option (seriously, Carson Daly?), and besides, if he's safe in a network studio we're in no danger of a sequel to Taxi being made. On top of Fallon's work at SNL he also strayed from NBC for a moment to guest host for David Letterman in 2003. His old Weekend Update co-host, TIna Fey, recently said of him taking over for Conan: “I think it’s a great idea. He’s really funny and loves to talk to people; it must be that Irish charm. Hosting a talk show is so hard, having to do the comedy and the interview skills, but I actually think he’s really well suited for it.” We're wondering why Fey (or any woman, for that matter) isn't up for the job.

Would you rather see an unfamiliar face during the time slot? You can always vote for Joe! He's already started blogging his future of hosting the show in 2009. Whoever gets picked to sit in the coveted chair at Studio 6A, the announcement has to be made at/prior to next May's upfront presentations. Something else that will be announced by that time is if NBC will move The Tonight Show from Burbank back to New York, where it began. This would of course cause a huge guest war between the 11:35 late night shows! To be continued...

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Carlson in Arts & Entertainment on July 31, 2007 2:31 PM

Comments [rss]

guest

I think Jimmy would be a great host. Once the haters' guns run out of their three magic bullets (he laughed during sketches, he made Taxi, he thinks he's just so darn cute/great/well-dressed), I think they'd see that, for the most part, they were horrible mistaken -- that he's actually funny, talented, and likeable when in the right position. It is at that time that they will also begin to realize they've been neglecting their kids. I do think global warming is all Jimmy's fault, though. Jacob "The Truth" Jenkins.

guest

Dave Hogarty: I agree with Jim Gaffigan, unless he does that third person voice he does in his standup. You know, that high pitched, audience reaction voice. Besides that, I love him. "Death pockets!"

guest

but that "didn't care" attitude could only last for so long, after a while, it got overplayed. there's just so much "we'll edit this out later" one can take.

NBC takes care of conan pretty well and he's even married now. I will say he is a tall freak though.

Bob saget is Got and he's six feet four.

guest

Conan was funny because he was an unknown writer who didn't care about being funny to anyone else but to himself, Andy Richter, and the 15 people in the audience.

We won't see a good replacement for Coney for quite some time. Once in a generation folks.

Dave Hogarty

How about Jim Gaffigan? He's not so well known that there's a wide group of people who despise him already, ala Fallon, but he seems pretty funny during his repeated appearnances on the show to air his Pale Force clips.

guest

Wonder how Demetri Martin would do.

http://www.comedycentral.com/sitewide/media_player/play.jhtml?itemId=60592

guest

Conan was an unknown (to us anyway) writer when Lorne Michaels took a chance on a funny guy back in the day. And here we are.

We can do better then any of the current crop of white 30-40 year old guys. None of them make me laugh. None of them ever made me laugh. Why not a fifty year old chick from the island (long/staten or queens/brookly). I know a few that will blow you all away. That or some of my forty something girlfriends. We laugh for hours on silly stuff that anyone would appreciate. Give us an audience and we will rock!

guest

Nick S., good point.

Samberg may be best at writing and canned stuff. For that, he has the necessary off-the-wall mentality.

I've seen him be funny in interviews, but that's hardly the same as being interviewer.

So perhaps he's not ideal, as the stand-up timing and delivery side is just as critical, and he may be unproven as of yet in that department.

guest

6:20pm here again...

Nick S. (#25) is on target with recommending a writer to replace this one.

By the way, just looking back at how and when Conan came into his role in front of the camera:

In his early days even through now he has maintained this endearing, comical sense of the unwitting amateur the network just stuck in front of the camera one day.

He's always kept the idea that they're all just hacks there, feeling their way through this, making whatever mistakes they do as they go.

But man are they sharp, and what a great approach this has been. You almost feel like you're there with them, fakin' it to make it, wondering when someone at the network will finally wise up and toss everyone out. And when they hit, man is it funny, and they just play it off as success in spite of themselves (taking cues from classic Jack Benny?).

Has been a great, extremely well-calculated "learning experience."

Big shoes for the next "unknown" to fill.

Nick S

andy samberg is overrated when it comes to live comedy. sure, the digital shorts are funny.. but has he done any memorable characters on actual live TV?

guest

The genius of Conan was that he was a writer himself, not just "the talent." And he has great timing, in a stand-up sort of way.

Conan's improv moments are among his best.

Find someone with a mind like a writer, and timing/delivery like a stand-up act, and there you have it.

Ricky Gervais could do this. If they really wanted to go out on a limb, maybe Adam Samberg.

The whole after-late-night thing (started with Letterman, extended with Conan) is the theater of the bizarre and irreverent that appeals so strongly to younger audiences.

Samberg can do it.

Fallon...meh.

guest

Yep, mr. Bob saget,

the funniest man in american and the most unfunniest man in america.

Bob saget is God.

Toby von Meistersinger

Re #27 - Bob Saget?

His turn on the insipid and awful program with several lies in the title - America's Funniest Home Videos - has totally soured me to his presence on a television screen. Not to mention the bit of torture known as Full House, which is infinitely more tolerable than the oxymoronic America's Funniest Home Videos.

guest

Bob Saget is God.

guest

Arj Barker would be nice....and Fallon is a dork....Conan is good but he will SUCK once he goes out to L.A....

Nick S

olbermann wouldn't be a great choice... he's gone from pretty funny to super-gravitas mode all the time.

a good choice? current conan writer brian stack.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Stack

guest

Fey's got a prime time sitcom. And ask her if she'd ever, ever want to talk to Paris Hilton again.

I've really warmed to Craig Ferguson. Conan's got great writing, but he's still a painful interviewer. As for Fallon: Isn't Pat Sajak available?

Olbermann would be a great choice.